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William the Conqueror, (sometimes called William the Bastard) was born in Normandy on the 8th of november 1028. He was the son of a unmarried duke called Robert the first of Normandy, and his mistress Herleva.

In 1047 he quashed a rebellion and began to establish his autority over the duchy, that was not completed until 1060. In 1050 he married with Mathilda of Flanders and therefore made a powerful ally in the county of Flanders.

In the 1050s and early 1060s, William became a contender for the throne of England held by the childless Edward the Confessor, his first cousin once removed. There were other potential claimants, including the powerful English earl Harold Godwinson, whom Edward named as king on his deathbed in January 1066.

Arguing that Edward had previously promised the throne to him and that Harold had sworn to support his claim, William built a large fleet and invaded England in September 1066.

He defeated and killed Harold at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066. After further military efforts, William was crowned king on Christmas Day, 1066, in London.

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Harold Godwinson -King Harold II of England

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Harold Godwinson - King Harold II of England

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Harold Godwinson - King Harold II of England

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Harold II (born c. 1020—died October 14, 1066, near Hastings, Sussex, England) was the last Anglo-Saxon king of England. A strong ruler and a skilled general, he was king of England during nine months, untill he was killed in 1066, at the Battle of Hasing, by Norman invaders under William the Conqueror.

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Tapistry of Bayeux - 70 metres long tapistry, telling the story of the Battle of Hasting, 1066.

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Battle of Hastings - How England came under the rule of a French Duke

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Battle of Hastings - How England came under the rule of a French Duke

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September 28, 1066, William landed in England with thousands of foot soldiers, horses and cavalrymen.

On October 13, Harold arrived near Hastings with his army. The next day, October 14, he led his forces out to battle before the English troops had a chance to organize.

The Battle of Hastings ended in a decisive victory against Harold’s men. Harold was killed and his English forces were scattered. This battle only lasted for one day, because of supreme tactics of the French/ Norman army.

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Battle of Hastings - re-enacted every year by members of 'The Living History' society

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September 1066: King Harald Hardrada, king of Norway and Denmark landed in Yorkshire with 'The Great Viking Army'. The English forces needed to respond and were send to defend and attack.

14 October 1066: 1 month after the invasion of King Harald Hardrada, Duke William of Normandy invaded England and defeated King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings. The English forces were still recuperating from Harald Hardrada's attack, when they had to defend England against the French army.

Christmas Day 1066: William Duke of Normandy, was crowned King of England at Westminster.

Many rebellions came about, but King William had crushed them all, 1 by 1. The biggest rebellion was in York in 1069. It was led by Edgar the Atheling, and he was joined by Danish and Scottish armies. They were posing a real challenge to William’s control of the north of England.

William defeated the rebellion, but he still didn't trust the rebels. He came to an agreement with the Danes, paying them to leave the country if they left without a fight.

Before 1066, Anglo-Saxon women were allowed to own and inherit land, but this changed after the Normans invaded.

Many Anglo-Saxon women inherited the land they lived on after their husbands and fathers died at the Battle of Hastings. William only allowed them to keep their land and home if they married a Norman. This put many women in a difficult position as forced marriages were designed to help the Normans control of England by taking ownership of their new wives’ land.

King William took control of the English Church in 1070, he started replacing English bishops with Norman ones. The clergy also started to become French.

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Barker, R. (2024, 3 april). Middle English (c. 1100 - c. 1500) - History of English. History of English. https://www.thehistoryofenglish.com/middle-english

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The year 1066, was a very important for the english language. The invasion of the Normans was not just a military conquest, but a cultural and linguistic revolution.

The Norman conquest brought about a dramatic shift in the balance of power, politically aswel as linguistically. Norman French became the language of the court, administration and the elite, while English was seen as a language for the common people.

This created a linguistic hierarchy, that influenced social interactions and culture developments. But the common people kept speaking English, and the language started to adapt and evolve.

Absorbing influences from Norman French while keeping it's core identity. Despite it being overshadowed by Norman French, it continued being spoken by the majority of the population. The everyday use of English by the common people ensured it's survival and later eventual it's renewal.

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Ink & Insights. (2024, 12 juli). The Evolution of Middle English: Prose and Verse Unveiled [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXlaojcHD8I

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The change from Anglo-Saxon English to middle English, began after the conquest of England by Willam the Conqueror.

These changes happened roughly from the 12th to the late 15th century. Middle English is a mix between Old English and Norman French, and this made the language simpler in grammar but richer in vocabulary.

Norman French also brought new words, particularly in the domains of law, government and courtly life. These changes gave a new depth to the English language, and is the big changing point for the English language.

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If you want to try a little Middle English yourself, you can use this as practice.

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A short example video

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William the Conqueror and Middle English - Details - Kahoot!

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Join a game of kahoot here. Kahoot! is a free game-based learning platform that makes it fun to learn - any subject, in any language, on any device, for all ages!